Beacon

Beacon (ビーコン Bīkon^?) is a boss in Gradius III and Gradius V.

Attack patterns[]

Note: All attack names except Beam Shot are purely conjectural.

Gradius III[]

The boss of Stage 7, Beacon, has simple attack patterns to describe:

Beam Shot: Beacon shoots the traditional Big Core MK I Beam Shot while moving up and down.
"Flying Cores": Beacon deploys numerous amounts of indestructible flying cores that bounce around terrain.

In spite of the large number of cores, Beacon is perhaps the quickest boss to defeat in the entire game. It's only really a threat if the player is underpowered.

Gradius V[]

In this game, Beacon is the first boss of Stage 7 and has many more attacks, thus being much more difficult:

"Reflective Beam": A replacement for Flying Cores, Beacon shoots reflective lasers that semi-aim in the player's direction.
"Blaster Laser": A Beam Shot replacement, Beacon charges up and releases two laser streams. In loops 2 and above, it releases four laser streams and is used more often.
"Napalm Bombs": Periodically, Beacon will deploy fire bombs from top to bottom which trail along the ceiling/floor. These bombs will restrict the player's movement to the center. Either used alone or along with Bullet Stream. Based on Snake used by Fire LEO-04 "Rynex".
"Bullet Stream": While fighting Beacon, it manipulates the terrain in preparation for its bullet attack. If fully prepared, it can shoot bullet shots in a haphazard stream (two streams if one core remains) while the Vic Viper navigates through the wave-like terrain. Always paired with Napalm Bombs.

Its fifth and final core can only be hit after the initial frontal four have been destroyed, though it's theoretically possible to blow it up without obliterating the four cores.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

Beacon used to hold the title for most cores on a ship (five).
One of Beacon's attacks from Gradius III is based on the destructible orb attack used by ZCS from Thunder Force II.
The bombs the Beacon drops in Gradius V is similar to Snake, one of Rynex's weapons, from Thunder Force IV.

Gradius III
Ships	Vic Viper
Stages	Desert • Bubble Zone • Volcanic Planet • High Speed Dimension • Moai Zone • Cell Planet • Prominence Planet • Plant Planet • Crystal Zone • Boss Rush • Mechanical Base
SNES exclusive stages	High Speed Zone • Fortress • Cell
Bosses	Goliath • Bubble Eye • Godrei • Big Core MK III • Dogas • Vaif • Twin Vaif (SNES) • Gregol • Wyvern • Vulture Dragon • Choking Weed • Lizard Core • Beacon (SNES) • Tetran • Covered Core • Big Core MK II • Crystal Core • Death MK II • Dellinger Core • Disrupt • Shadow Gear • Shadow Gear MK II (SNES) • Big Core • Golem • Bacterian

Gradius V
Ships	Vic Viper T-301
Stages	Planet Gradius Satellite Orbit • Planet Gradius City Sky A • Planet Gradius Urban Underground Hierarchy • Bacterian Cell Center • Asteroid Front Base • Bacterian Multiplication Plant • Bacterian Fortification Center • Planet Gradius City Sky B
Bosses	Big Core MK-I Rev.2 • Venom (lower) • Death MK III • Tetran • Big Core MK II • Big Core MK IV • Ground Spider • Huge Heart • Blaster Cannon Core • Rolling Core • Circle Core • Big Core MK III • Covered Core MK II • Beacon • Keeper's Core • Elephant Gear • Venom (upper)

Core Warships
Big Cores	Big Core MK I (Old Big Core) • Big Core Custom • Big Core MK-I Rev.2 • Big Core MK II • Big Core MK II Kai • Big Core MK III • Big Core MK IV
Big Core variants	Beacon • Berserk Core • Big Core Duo • Big Core DX-01 • Big Core Orthos • Big Core Prometheus • Blaster Cannon Core • Boost Core • Bubble Core • Circle Core • Coreship • Crater Core • Crystal Core • Dellinger Core • Desert Core • Heaven's Gate • Juggler Core • Laser Core • Lizard Core • Mirrored Core • Neo Big Core • Parasite Core • Perla Meralda • Planet Core • Rexion Core • Rolling Core • Serpent Core • Shining Core • Super Big Core • Terra Core • Vanishing Core • Genocide Core • Odin Core
Core-style bosses	Abaddon Warship • Bolboros • Covered Core • Covered Core MK II • Dead End • Deltatry • Kraken • Mayhem Warship • Metal Slave • Misfit Warship • Queensrÿche • Riot Warship • Plate Core
Pseudo-Cores	Death • Death MK II (DeathDouble) • Death MK III • Beta Core • Nobil • Tri-Pod Core • Triple Core • Crash Bam
Tetran variants	Tetran (Zylom • Tetran Sweeper • Tetran Scavenger) • Covered Tetran • Crystal Core D-X02 • Laser Tetran • Tenny Rop
Parody Cores	Candy Core • Decoration Core • Decoration Core MK II • Viva Core